Body mass index and diabetes status do not affect postoperative infection rates after bariatric surgery

Obesity predisposes general surgical patients to infections such as surgical site infection and respiratory tract infection. The infection rates vary by surgical approach and the type of surgery undertaken. Bariatric surgery is increasingly used to treat obesity and obesity related co-morbidities. However, little is known about the relationship between postoperative infections and patient characteristics, such as body mass index (BMI) or diabetes status, in bariatric cohorts. The objective of this study was to examine the rates of all postoperative infection in patients after bariatric surgery in relation to known risk factors.

A total of 815 patients were included in the final analysis. During the first month after surgery, 5.2% of patients experienced an infection-related event, and surgery-related infections were most prevalent. Between the second and twelfth month postoperatively, a further 4.7% of patients experienced an infection-related event, and nonsurgical related infections were most prevalent. Infection was associated with increased length of stay in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (P<.001) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) (P = .011) but not in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) (P = .41). Diabetes status and BMI were not associated with increased infection rates during the first month after surgery.

Infection rates after bariatric surgery are relatively low and are associated with a prolonged length of hospital stay. Reassuringly, neither diabetic status nor BMI appear to increase the risk of postoperative infection after bariatric surgery.